She has done glamorous as well as non-glamorous roles, but Ms Padukone feels sad when people think a glamorous role does not require hard work

“I think the role is more important. It is a misconception that a glamorous role doesn’t require acting talent. It’s a bit strange, because I think at the end of the day, any kind of film – whether it is glamorous or ‘de-glam’ (non-glamorous) – requires acting. Acting is acting,” said Deepika in an interview. “For example, people think I gave a brilliant performance as Veronica in Cocktail, but it was also a glamorous role. For me, it is about the role and the film, not glamour,” she added.

The 26-year-old actor made her Bollywood debut with Om Shanti Om and has since been part of successful films such as Bachna Ae Haseeno, Housefull, Love Aaj Kal, Cocktail and will soon be seen in Race 2. For Deepika, it is important that not only her role is appreciated, but the film also does well at the box office. “When you set out to do a film, one hopes that your performance is appreciated, and the film also goes on to do well. Fortunately with me, in Cocktail, I got both. The film did well and the performance was appreciated. I hope this happens in all my films,” she said.

Asked if she fears being over-exposed, Deepika said: “I think as long as you are doing good work, that is the most important thing. I don’t think that it can result in over-exposure of any form. Also I am someone who has always believed in quality versus quantity,” she said.

The former model also endorses several brands and has just been made the face of a new range of two products alongside Priyanka Chopra. “Today I could have easily been doing 15-20 brands at a time, but I chose not to do that. I chose to endorse the best in the market,” she added.

With so many films and endorsements in her kitty, does she get time for herself? “It’s about the kind of lifestyle you lead. I can say that I have been the busiest in my career because I am juggling three films at a time. But I think I know how to conserve my energy, I know where to conserve it and spend it. I think things like my diet, workout, exercise, the water I drink and products I use add to me looking and feeling better,” Deepika said.